[There is a state of mind peculiarly proper for the inves- tigation of unfulfilled prophecy. To treat any part of divine revelation with indifference, as though it were an unprofitable task to search into it, would argue a very criminal disregard of Him from whom that revelation proceeds. On the other hand, to be stirring up ourselves to a state of feverish excite- ment, as though we could already discern every minute parti- cular which shall take place when the period that has been predicted shall have arrived, is to dive into futurity with an unhallowed boldness, and to pervert the true end of prophecy. Prophecy is not intended to make us prophets, but to shew us, after that the predictions shall have been fulfilled, that the events so predicted were both foreseen and fore-ordained by the Most High God. The true medium is that which the prophets themselves observed : " They searched diligently what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow g." The Prophet Daniel, when he understood from books that the time for the delivery of his people from the Babylonish captivity was draw- ing near, " set himself by prayer and supplication and fasting," to attain a more perfect knowledge of God's purpose respect- ing it. And the saints who lived near the time of our Lord's advent in the flesh, engaged in constant prayer, " looking for him as the consolation of Israel," and waiting for his promised redemption. New, if we would attend upon God in such a spirit as this, we should never sustain any injury to our souls from such holy exercises. But, when we so engage in search- ing into future events as almost to overlook what is past ; and so please ourselves with our own fancied discoveries, as to place almost on the back ground all the wonders of redeeming love ; we betray a very depraved appetite, and foster both in ourselves and others a spirit the very reverse of humility and love. In relation to future events, we stand in the same pre- dicament with the saints who lived before the coming of our Lord. If we presume to pry into them with unhallowed curiosity, and to dogmatize respecting them as if they were already open to our view, we shall both suffer loss ourselves and inflict an injury on others : but, if we explore them with the modesty that becomes us, we shall find the contemplation of them profitable to our own minds, and the developement of them, so far as they are revealed to us, truly beneficial to the Church of God. Take, for instance, what is spoken in Scrip- ture respecting the destruction of Popery, and the establish- ment of Christ's kingdom throughout the world, we should be content with asserting only what the Scriptures have asserted,
g 1 Pet. i. 11.